The ficus is a very beautiful tree indoors. It is a tall plant, with many leaves, and also has an exotic appearance, so it is not difficult to have a beautiful room if you place a specimen there. But the problems usually do not take long to appear: first, the tips of the leaves turn brown and eventually fall off. Because?
Well, there are several reasons: he may be exposed to air currents generated by the air conditioner or the fan, or to the humidity in the air, or he may not be getting the care he really needs. So, If you are determined to have a ficus indoors, it is important that you know what to do to make it grow well.
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What does a ficus need to be healthy inside a house?
Let’s talk about it first, because it’s very, very important if you want to know how to take care of it. The ficus is a plant of tropical and subtropical origin (with the exception of the ficus carica or fig tree, which grows in the temperate regions of southwestern Asia), therefore, requires high air humidity. It must remain above 40-50% throughout the year, otherwise its leaves may drop for no apparent reason.
In addition, It should be away from appliances that generate drafts, such as the fan or the air conditioning, because otherwise these currents will dry it out even if the humidity in the room is high. In this sense, we will not have to place it in a transit area, such as a hallway for example, or in front of a window that we have usually opened all day and through which the wind can enter more or less constantly.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is a tree that needs a lot of light, and not just any light but natural. Its absence is what makes it unable to have a good development. That is why it is not always possible to have a ficus indoors, because if we buy it and put it in a dimly lit place, it will be like throwing money away because it will not survive. not long.
And now we will tell you what their care is.
How to care for the ficus indoors?
Once we know more or less clearly what the most important needs of this plant are, we can start talking about the care it needs to be healthy. So as soon as we buy it and come home, what should we do?
Put it in a spacious room with natural light
Being a plant that takes up a lot of space, we will have to find him a room in which he can be comfortable; i.e. a place where it can be a little away from the wall and furniture without it being a problem for the man. And of course, it must be a window in which there are windows through which lots and lots of sunlight enters.
Change the pot from time to time throughout its life
People often make the mistake of keeping it the same for years and years. And that, really, is something that should not be done because not transplanting it will end up weakening it. You have to remember that ficuses are large plants, and they need a lot of space. They can be kept in pots, but only if pruned. And yet, we will have to plant our tree in a larger container every 3 or 4 springs, using universal substrate.
Water moderately
The ficus is not very drought tolerant, but when kept indoors it should not be watered frequently as it does not tolerate excess water. In reality, so that there are no problems with irrigation, it is better to check the humidity of the substrateAt least for the first few times. This can be done by inserting a stick downwards, since when you take it out we can see if it is dry (in which case it will come out almost clean) or wet.
Don’t forget to pay it
You have to pay the ficus inside. Since our idea is to always have it in a jar, we have to pay it in spring and summer. To do this, you can apply green plant fertilizers like this, or even nails like these that you just have to push into the ground and water. As the latter release the nutrients little by little, it will not be necessary to pay it from time to time. But in any case, follow the instructions for use so that no problems arise.
Prune it in the spring
And only if necessary; that’s to say, if we see that it grows a lot, or that it even begins to develop branches that are too long or badly positioned, then we can prune it, either by removing said branch or by pruning it. But to do it right, I recommend that you step away from your plant a bit so that you can observe it and thus have a better idea of how it grows, what you want it to look like, and therefore also which branch(s) you want to delete. .
So you can have your ficus healthy and beautiful.